Love – there are few things which are as omnipresent as this phenomenon. Love is on the one hand the central heating in our universe, the feeling that gives sense to our life. On the other hand it is the source for jealousy and hate. In the search-engine google are more than eight trillion entries for the word love. In music, literature and movies again and again we are confronted with the success or failure of love – throughout the whole history. There are no real borders for the usage. You can love your fatherland, work, car, god, animals, music, chocolate and even capitalism. Some people fall in love on Friday like The Cure, other people’s business is loving wisdom (philosophers). In western societies it is used in dimensions, as it was never before the case in history. Asking people about the relationship of love and capitalism many requests claim that they have nothing to do with each other or even that they are contradictory. This leads us to an interesting point, because our economic system – capitalism – tries permanently to make use of other spheres and even, according to Polanyi, subordinates them.
This paper aims to analyze the relationship of love and capitalism and to show something similar Marx did with the commodity: that love is influenced by the conditions of society (especially economy) and that its magic is one that is socially constructed. The thesis is, according to Polanyi’s great transformation, that love experienced a great transformation: at least at part was love freed up by capitalism from moral and normative chains, love has become a market and capitalism subordinated love to the economy. The analysis concentrates due to the limited frame on the western culture and on heterosexual love. Furthermore the paper is more descriptive then normative; the aim is not the critic of a specific concept of love but to find out how capitalism and love interact with each other and whether one system is subordinated to the other.
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 What is Love?
- 2.1 The Essence of Love
- 2.2 The Romantic Utopia
- 3 Capitalism and Love
- 3.1 Comparison of Capitalism and the Romantic Utopia
- 3.2 Consumption of the Romantic Utopia and Romanticization of Commodities
- 3.2.1 Romanticization of Commodities
- 3.2.2 Consuming the Romantic Utopia
- 3.3 Love's Subsumption under Capitalism: The development of Marriage Markets
- 3.3.1 The transformation in the ecology of choice
- 3.3.2 The transformation in the architecture of choice
- 4 Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes the relationship between love and capitalism, arguing that love, like commodities, is shaped by societal conditions, particularly economic ones. It aims to demonstrate that capitalism has influenced love, partially freeing it from traditional moral constraints and transforming it into a market-driven phenomenon. The analysis focuses on Western culture and heterosexual love, primarily employing a descriptive rather than normative approach.
- The definition and essence of love, distinguishing between emotion and feeling.
- The historical development and characteristics of romantic love as a social construct.
- The comparison of capitalism's characteristics with those of the romantic utopia.
- The commodification of love and the romanticization of commodities within capitalism.
- The evolution of marriage markets and the structuring of love under capitalist systems.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the ubiquity of love as a phenomenon, highlighting its paradoxical nature as both a life-giving force and a source of negativity. It introduces the paper's central thesis: that love has undergone a "great transformation" under capitalism, becoming increasingly subordinated to economic structures. The chapter positions the paper's focus on the interplay between love and capitalism within Western culture and heterosexual relationships, emphasizing a descriptive approach to understanding their interaction.
2 What is Love?: This chapter delves into the essence of love, exploring its biological, emotional, and social dimensions. It differentiates between emotions (biochemical processes) and feelings (interpretations of emotions), emphasizing that love is a feeling rather than a purely biological response. The chapter highlights the influence of cultural norms and values in shaping our understanding and experience of love, citing La Rochefoucauld's observation that love's existence relies on societal awareness. It introduces the concept of romantic love, contextualizing its emergence within the social and cultural changes of the 18th and 19th centuries.
3 Capitalism and Love: This chapter explores the complex relationship between capitalism and love. It begins by comparing the characteristics of capitalism with those of the romantic utopia, revealing points of both convergence and contradiction. A significant portion of the chapter focuses on the commodification of love and the romanticization of commodities, analyzing how capitalist structures influence our understanding and pursuit of love. Finally, the chapter examines the development of marriage markets as an illustration of love's subordination to capitalist logic, analyzing shifts in both the "ecology" and "architecture" of choice within romantic relationships.
Keywords
Love, capitalism, romantic love, commodification, marriage markets, social construction, great transformation, emotion, feeling, Western culture, heterosexual relationships, economic anthropology.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Analysis of Love and Capitalism
What is the main topic of this text?
This text comprehensively analyzes the intricate relationship between love and capitalism, arguing that societal and economic conditions, particularly those within capitalist systems, significantly shape our understanding and experience of love. It examines how capitalism has influenced the nature of love, transforming it into a market-driven phenomenon while partially freeing it from traditional moral constraints.
What are the key themes explored in the text?
The key themes include the definition and essence of love (differentiating between emotion and feeling); the historical development of romantic love as a social construct; a comparison of capitalism's characteristics with those of a "romantic utopia"; the commodification of love and the romanticization of commodities; and the evolution of marriage markets as a reflection of love's subordination to capitalist systems. The analysis focuses primarily on Western culture and heterosexual relationships.
What is the text's methodology?
The text employs a primarily descriptive rather than normative approach. It aims to understand the interplay between love and capitalism without prescribing how love *should* be understood or experienced.
What are the key chapters and their respective focuses?
Chapter 1 (Introduction): Establishes the central thesis that love has undergone a "great transformation" under capitalism, becoming increasingly subordinate to economic structures. It sets the stage for the analysis by focusing on the interplay between love and capitalism within Western culture and heterosexual relationships. Chapter 2 (What is Love?): Explores the essence of love, differentiating between emotions and feelings, and contextualizes the emergence of romantic love within historical and social changes. Chapter 3 (Capitalism and Love): Analyzes the complex relationship between capitalism and love, examining the commodification of love, the romanticization of commodities, and the development of marriage markets as an illustration of love's subordination to capitalist logic.
What are the keywords associated with this text?
Love, capitalism, romantic love, commodification, marriage markets, social construction, great transformation, emotion, feeling, Western culture, heterosexual relationships, economic anthropology.
What is the overall argument of the text?
The text argues that love, far from being a purely personal or emotional experience, is significantly shaped by the prevailing economic and societal structures. Capitalism, in particular, has fundamentally altered the way love is understood, experienced, and pursued, transforming it into a phenomenon increasingly influenced by market forces.
For whom is this text intended?
This text is intended for academic use, specifically for researchers and students interested in analyzing themes related to the sociology of love, economic anthropology, and the social impact of capitalism.
What type of approach does the text take?
The text uses a descriptive approach, aiming to describe the relationship between love and capitalism rather than prescribing how love should function.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2012, Love’s Great Transformation: The Clash of Love and Capitalism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/907045
